Rei no Kaado: Cards of the Soul
by mugenginga
Summary: Pulled to an alternate world... could you wager yourself... against Fate? Persona series, Devil Survivor, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Key inhabitants of each of these worlds have been pulled to an alternate Japan. What could be waiting for them in this world?
1. Chapter 1: Deliverance

**Authors: **This is a collaborative/collab fanfiction between myself and Firebreath Fishslap. While she has her own account (firebreathfishslap is her username), the rules of the site only allow one author to upload a specific fic. She deserves as much credit as I do.

**Rating: **The rating of the fanfiction currently stands at T. It will be raised to M at a future date, but only when an applicable chapter is posted. This is due to the site's system not allowing M rated fanfictions to come up in searches without fiddling with the settings. This was in part due to Firebreath Fishslap's suggestions.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the rights of Persona 3: FES, Persona 4, Devil Survivor: Overclocked, Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any other involved franchises. Those rights remain solely with Atlus and Kazuki Takahashi et al. No infringement is implied nor intended.

**Honorifics Used Within the Chapter: ** -sensei (refers to any "master", not just teachers. Another common example would be doctors), -san (generic term for being polite. Commonly translated as "Mr." or "Ms.".

* * *

**Chapter 1: Deliverance**

Throughout the history of the worlds, and the superstitions of each, a full moon has meant many things. There are those that have gazed upon the pale orb with reverence; others with fear. Some have seen it as a sign of blessing, others as a harbinger of man's demise. But that guiding light, no matter what path it sent one down, has always meant _something_. The large disc that hung in the sky that clear mid-August night was no exception. It meant something was about to begin...

If anyone had been standing on the roof of Odaiba International High School that night of beginnings, they would have been privy to a rather unusual event. At first, all was calm. The starts were muted thanks to the city lights, but they could be seen if one wished it. A fence lined the entire roof so as to prevent some student from tripping and falling to the ground below. None of this was peculiar.

The peculiarity was formed by a brief instance. Perhaps a nanosecond, certainly no longer. To the side of the chairs and tables set upon the roof, there was an empty area. It was no bigger than would be needed for a small group of students to walk by. It was large enough, however, for a teenager to manifest. Nothing flashy; merely where there had been an empty place before now lay a teenage boy. He looked to be in his later teens, perhaps a Junior or Senior in high school. It was the sudden appearance and the complete lack of fanfare that made it odd. A small noise was all that accompanied his arrival. A "pop" of sorts, the sound of an empty space suddenly becoming full.

The teenager looked at peace. Closer examination would have likely set one's hair on edge. It would reveal that he was at peace the way a corpse might be. Completely still, not even the movement of a chest rising and falling to break the calm. His skin was pale enough for him to be called recently deceased. Indeed, he looked as if he would have been more at place in an open casket than in the still air of the high school roof. A slight breeze ruffled his dark blue hair, a large portion of which fell directly over his right eye in an untidy clump.

A solitary black father twirled in the wind as only feathers seem capable. It floated down with the fading wind, which moved the curled feather towards the teen's face. It was more like the down one might see upon a chick than a true feather. It ever so gently cascaded towards the still teen and set down just below his left eye.

It was as if a switch had been flicked for Minato Arisato. His face twitched at the exact moment the words, "I will... burn my dread..." came blaring from the silver headphones he wore. They were not over his ears, the stiff black band that would fit over his head looped behind the back of his neck. The volume of the music, however, made it clear that even had he been wearing them, a person several feet back could have at least made out the music. The exact words, aside from the oft repeated "burn my dread", were however somewhat difficult to understand.

It was not the only change the feather seemed to herald. For the teen's chest had begun to move. More than before, it was clear he had not been breathing. A slight bit of color returned to his face and hands, the only parts of his body the black school uniform he wore allowed one to see. Even his neck was concealed thanks to the high collar of his white shirt, tied shut with a loose black bow.

A small groan could be heard escaping from Minato's lips. It was a familiar sound to many a teenager, and almost all parents. It was the groan of one who had been sound asleep only to be woken and informed they had to be somewhere. His right hand lifted up and reached over to shoo away the tickling sensation brought by the feather. His hand managed to catch the feather's edge, allowing it to be caught by another gust of wind. It spiraled up towards the moon before the wind shifted and carried to towards the ocean view afforded by the rooftop.

Minato opened his eyes, although it took a few moments for the action to mean he was awake. The round orb that comprised the moon hung directly over his head. He jerked up, almost as if the sight of the moon was a sign of something terrible. He felt foolish for the action and his expression faded from one of almost terrified shock to something altogether dull. As his thoughts gathered, one seemed to shine above the others.

"Aigis...?"

No response came. That gentle, feminine voice that had once been robotic and forced was not there to comfort him. It was not, as could be misinterpreted, that he held Aigis above his many other friends. Despite her obvious, and indeed admitted feelings for him, it was the promise she had made that caused him to think of her first. She had told him that she would always protect him. It had been a little creepy, but he had sensed the kindness in that promise. She would always protect him... It made it seem odd she was not by his side.

He looked down at the mp3 player that hung from his neck by a thick black lanyard. The remix of Burn my Dread was still playing, but he knew from the many times he had listened to the song that it was about to end. Music tended to help him think, and when the situation required it, block out the world around him. It seemed to be accomplishing the opposite tonight, and he turned off the device as he climbed to his feet.

Minato looked at the scenery around himself. He had been so exhausted on the day of Senior Graduation; the day Mitsuru and Akihiko would be leaving high school. Akihiko had plans to go off to college, while Mitsuru was going to leap right into leadership of the Kirijo Group. It was a legacy her father had left her, and one she wanted to maintain with utmost dignity. He had been tired the entire week before that, and it was through sheer willpower he had not slept through the whole event. His eyes widened as he remembered _why_ he had been tired.

He had been tired because he had been _dead_. His body had been merely a shell kept in motion by a promise he had made. His soul had left about a month prior to create a barrier between the god-entities Nyx and Erebus. Nyx had been summoned to bring about The Fall, and if she reached Erebus, all life in the world would be lost. He somehow knew deep inside that his soul and body were once again one. That, however, likely meant the Great Seal he had performed had been broken.

He felt his hands shake as he reached towards his pocket. What time was it? Was it before midnight? If it was before midnight, he would be able to wait and see if his fears were founded. If the world changed at the stroke of midnight... He had to stop his thoughts and look down. In his rising panic he was missing his pocket. He took a moment to steady his hand and reached into the pocket, pulling out his cellphone. He flipped it open with a flick of his wrist, only to find it dead.

Of course it was dead. He hadn't had the energy to even plug the phone in during his last week of life. However, it meant he had no way of knowing the time. Erebus... It constantly hammered upon the door his soul had guarded. Even if it had become tired of its repeated attempts, the constant flow of negative emotions from man would not permit it to stop for long. Even if fortune granted the reprieve of Nyx leaving her post, Erebus would seek her out. It would find her, and the world would Fall. He felt his legs trying to give out as he made his way towards the door that would lead into the school. He managed to convince his hands to go out and grab the handle.

He pulled down and felt resistance. He jiggled the handle a few more times, but it remained locked. He walked over to the fence at the edge of the rooftop and put his fingers between the large chain links. Minato did not know why he had awakened here. The best he could figure out was that it was where he had closed his eyes for the last time. A warm breeze blew by him. It was far too warm for early March. Just how much time had passed? It seemed late summer, although he was too far up to make out the trees and colors of their leaves in the darkness.

He took a few steps towards the door and turned his back to the wall beside it. He then slid into a sitting position and took his head into his hands. He and his friends had once made the decision to fight Nyx. Nyx, who they had been informed could not be beaten. That had been the truth. Nyx had not been beaten, merely thwarted. They had found a loophole to Death, or at least granted the world one. But... He had died for it. He was not dead now...

_Relax, Minato. This isn't like you. If you're alive, it means something has changed. And nothing can be looked into right now. You're trapped up here until morning. The weather indicates late summer, and if you make enough noise in the morning someone is sure to check on you. It will do no good to deprive yourself of sleep..._

Minato's thoughts were punctuated by a yawn. He turned his mp3 player back on, switching to a different track than what had been playing. A gentle grin spread on his face as his chosen melody began to play. He carefully lifted his headphones and placed them over his ears. "Kimi no Kioku"... "Memories of You"... That month he had spent after sealing Nyx had given new meaning to the song for him. It always made him think of Aigis. Now that he knew the feelings of that time had been of his life slipping away, the song held a far more bittersweet tone to it. Despite that, it soothed him and he was asleep before the song had the chance to loop.

* * *

The blue haired teenager's face twitched. He had woken up just enough for his closed eyes to sense the new light levels. He raised his right hand and rubbed his right eye as he slowly opened the other. The sun had risen while he slept.

Minato was no expert at telling time by the position of the sun, but it seemed like it was sometime in the morning. He let out a small yawn before looking down at his mp3 player. He had set Kimi no Kioku on repeat, but no sound was coming out. A few presses of the various buttons confirmed his suspicions. Like his cellphone, the player was now dead.

He used the wall behind him to get to his feet. He glanced around again, pausing to look at the view he had been too worried to gaze at the night before. The familiar sight of skyscrapers and Ferris Wheel greeted him. He turned to face the school yard and hesitated when he saw the gate. It wasn't the gate he knew Gekkoukan to have. It _was_ a different time of year, but had it needed to be replaced?

Minato saw someone coming towards the school. He was two stories up, far too high to make out if he knew the person. But it _was _a person. He walked to the fence and waved one of his arms, shouting in an attempt to get the new arrival's attention.

"Hey!"

Down below, a woman had nearly gotten to the front door when she heard a faint shout. She paused and looked around, wondering who it could have been. It was improper for teachers to run around yelling, after all. She was about to pass it off as her imagination when she heard the shout again. It had most certainly come from above her. She took a few steps back and looked up to see someone in a dark outfit waving upon the rooftop. A student? What in heaven's name was a _student _doing at school during summer break?

"I shall be right up!" she stated, speaking in rather formal Japanese.

Minato relaxed and stepped back. He had worried for a moment she wouldn't hear him. He glanced towards the chairs and tables behind him. He stuck his hands in his pockets, walked over to said chairs, and sat down. He had begun to wonder if the woman was going to show up after all when he heard the sound of rattling keys. The door opened and the woman, likely a teacher by her age, came out.

"What, pray tell, are you doing up here young man?"

Minato said nothing. The truth was he had no explanation. Coupled with the fact that he wasn't a very talkative person around people he did not know well, there was really no reason to speak. He didn't recognize the woman, and wondered if she had been hired to help with summer school. She seemed annoyed by his silence.

"You should speak when spoken to. What is your name? I do not recognize you and I make it a point to know the names of students."

"Arisato Minato," he replied.

"Arisato-san...? I think perhaps I have run across that name, but you still do not look familiar. And I do not believe 'Minato' was the first name of that student. Who is your homeroom teacher?"

"Toriumi-sensei," Minato replied. It wasn't completely accurate. If it was summer, it meant the classroom assignments would have changed. He was a senior now, and Ms. Toriumi was a second year homeroom teacher.

"What kind of joke is that? We do not have a Toriumi-sensei on staff here."

Minato looked a little surprised. However, the woman seemed like the type of teacher it was better off keeping their mouth shut around. And so he dead, leaning back slightly as the woman refocused on him. She indicated his outfit with a scowl.

"You are not a student of this school, are you? That appears to be a uniform, and yet it is not that of Odaiba International."

"...I go to Gekkoukan," Minato said, which until a moment ago was where he thought he was at. If he wasn't, it nicely explained the gate out front. But it created other problems.

"Ge... kou... kan...? Where is that located?"

"Tatsumi Port Island," Minato had to wonder why he was answering this question. The Kirijo Group owned Gekkoukan Private High School and it was one of the more elite schools in Japan. What were the odds she had honestly not heard of it?

"You are a terrible example of youth today. There is no such place as 'Tatsumi Port Island'. I suggest you march down from this rooftop and never show your face around here again. Do you understand me?"

Minato decided he did not like this woman. At all. However, in the interest of not having his ear talked off via a lecture, he nodded and walked past her. He could hear her huff as he pulled the door open and walked through. He glanced at the floor inside as he walked over it. The woman was right, this was in no way Gekkoukan. Even if he could have passed off the gate, there was no way they would have ripped up the white tile flooring and replaced it with polished hardwood.

The teenager felt confused. He had hoped things would make more sense in the morning, but now they made far less sense. Despite the view being the same as his high school, this was not Gekkoukan. That could perhaps be explained by perspective and such. Maybe this place wasn't that far from Tatsumi Port Island.

Except the woman had claimed to have never heard of Gekkoukan. Minato wasn't sure what to make of that. He'd known about the fierce competition to attend there. The tuition alone was something else, even for a private school. And she claimed there was no such place as Tatsumi Port Island. The Island was as much a staple of Japan as Tokyo or Hokkaido. What kind of person had never heard of Tatsumi Port Island?

Minato walked down the stairs and glanced around. The familiar model with the Kirijo Group slogan was not there. "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection". He saw no signs of a snack bar, either. The only thing that seemed truly the same was that the doors could be reached if he turned left. He glanced towards where he expected the bulletin board to be. It wasn't there, although a quick look around revealed it on the other side of the lobby. Whoever had built the school seemed to have used the same basic floor plans as Gekkoukan.

He walked down the steps leading to the front doors after pushing them open. He didn't check to see if it would close on its own. His mind was racing. His being alive put the Seal in danger. He hadn't been attacked in his sleep, but that could be explained with him having the Potential. Of the type that awoke naturally, he told himself. Or naturally enough. He wasn't sure his connection to Death made it all that natural, but it hadn't been forced the way Strega's ability had. He hesitated for a moment and flipped up the side of his school jacket. It was there. _Why _was it there?

He, nor the other members of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, or SEES, had continued to carry the gun-like Evokers after the Dark Hour had ended. While he and Aigis had been the only ones who remembered it, he had placed his Evoker with the others in the former Chairman's room. He hadn't informed Aigis of the memories until after she approached him the day of Senior Graduation, either. He hadn't actually known she remembered until then.

It all meant he shouldn't have it with him. His body had given out without it on, why was it on him now? Why did he even have a body to begin with, for that matter? It was summer, they would have cremated him by now. He shook his head and let his jacket fall back into place as he continued walking. He needed to be grateful the teacher had not seen the Evoker. Guns were, after all, illegal in Japan.

He needed to get the present sorted out before he worried about the past. He needed both sorted out before he could decide on the future. It seemed the best thing to do at this point would be to contact Iwatodai Dorms. Perhaps not the best thing, but he could think of nothing else to do. He pulled his wallet out of his left pocket and opened it. Good, at least he still had his phonecard. At least he had a place to start...


	2. Chapter 2: Destination

**Authors: **This is a collaborative/collab fanfiction between myself and Firebreath Fishslap. While she has her own account (firebreathfishslap is her username), the rules of the site only allow one author to upload a specific fic. She deserves as much credit as I do.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Destination**

It was a rather large bump that woke the silver haired teenager. Had he not been wearing his seat belt, the bump would have knocked him out of his seat. Instead, he received a rude awakening as his head bashed into the wall beside him. He jerked upright while grabbing his head in surprised pain.

Souji Seta muttered about the pain as he rubbed his head. After a moment, he pulled his hand back and examined it for blood. He felt like a fool for checking when he found none. The teenager gave a wide yawn and stretched his arms up. He had not intended to fall asleep; he didn't want to miss his stop. He leaned over and looked out the window, noticing the train was near a city.

_"Now approaching Daiba Train Station. All passengers disembarking Daiba Train Station, please gather your bags and prepare for arrival. Repeat. Now approaching-"_

Souji paid no further attention to the continuing announcement. He stood up and pulled the one bag he had with him from the overhead rack. He sat back down, placing the bag in his lap and pulling out a photo from his inside jacket pocket. He gave a soft smile at the many signatures on the back before turning it around to look at the image.

For how much he tried to keep people at arm's length, he had made a lot of friends during his year in Inaba. Friends who had ultimately been responsible for helping him find the truth of the two successful and numerous attempted murders. It still hurt that he had been forced to leave them, but he knew they would always be friends. It was a level of hopeful optimism that Souji knew he would have trouble applying elsewhere in his life.

He looked up at the changing vibrations of the train car. The scenery was different than before. Souji had spent enough time traveling in his eighteen years of life to know the train would be pulling into the station in less than a minute. He was already in the main aisle when the announcement came. Souji noted he was alone in the car, unusual given the time of year. He was not the only high schooler who had to travel in the short break between school years. He was shaken from his thoughts by the jar of the stopping train.

Souji adjusted the black camping bag over his shoulder before stepping off the train and into the crowded station. The _very _crowded station. The teenager blinked and looked around, more puzzled about the crowds than he had been by the car. This was the type of crowd one would expect in summer, not spring. He shook his head and smiled at his foolishness. He was reading far too much into the situation. He spotted an empty bench and began walking towards it. He had told his Uncle Dojima he would check in upon arriving in Daiba. It took one sentence to stop him cold.

_"-and August 15__th__ looks to be unusually hot as well, with the temperature expected to continue easily breaking thirty degrees Celsius. In other news..."_

August 15th. Souji looked at the crowds again. Hadn't he noted they seemed more like summer crowds? August 15th was not only summer, but also at the latter end of the typical break in the school year. While the date could explain the crowds, it created a much larger problem. One he couldn't ignore. He had left Inaba the 21st of March for a one day train ride. He was shaking as he forced himself to take the final steps towards the bench. His sit was little more than a guided fall. Souji dug into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Surely he had misheard the forecast.

The screen read August 15th, and it wasn't the worst of it. The screen read August 15th, 20_10_. Yesterday his cellphone had displayed March 21st, 20_12_. Souji could feel the sweat irritating his palm. He knew his knuckles were white. When he could convince his fingers to move again, he hit the 2 button followed by 'SEND'. He lifted it to his ear and closed his eyes. If Nanako would answer...

_"We're sorry. We are unable to direct your call at this time. Please dou-"_

Souji snapped the phone shut. He wasn't angry at the response; he had expected it. His lips were tight, but his shaking had stopped. He knew the facts as they existed. He was at the location he was supposed to be. He was to make a transfer here at Daiba Train Station in order to reach Chiba. The forecast had stated August 15th, 2010, and his cellphone had confirmed that. There was one more thing he could check to confirm he wasn't going insane. He reached into the pocket opposite where he'd gotten his cellphone and pulled out a black wallet. A small white tab was pulled from inside.

The information on the ticket stub gave him an overwhelming sense of relief. It said March 21st, 2012, followed by the details of the transfer. Most important of all, it confirmed everything he had been suspecting. It made no more sense than before. It made no sense that he had boarded a train at Yasoinaba Train Station on March 21st, 2012, and ended up at the Daiba Train Station on August 15th, 2010. The only explanations Souji could think of were straight out of some manga. No, he shook his head. There was only one explanation. If it was a case of time travel, he should have been able to reach his uncle's place. That left dimension hopping. Insane, but the only option.

Souji placed his wallet and cellphone back in his pockets before getting to his feet. He wasn't one to believe in coincidence. Not on a scale so large as this. If the impossible became possible, there had to be a reason for it. If someone had told Souji he was rationalizing, he wouldn't have denied it.

While he didn't know what he wanted to do next, he knew he didn't want to stay in this train station for a second longer. He ran the evidence through his mind several more times as he walked towards the exit. For now, he would take a walk. If this was another dimension, there was a chance there were other differences. Things that could give him clues. He was walking blind, but he was moving forward. That was the most important part, and one he had to keep close. He was moving forward.


	3. Chapter 3: Discovery

**Authors: **This is a collaborative/collab fanfiction between myself and Firebreath Fishslap. While she has her own account (firebreathfishslap is her username), the rules of the site only allow one author to upload a specific fic. She deserves as much credit as I do

**New Honorifics Used Within the Chapter:** -kun (a slightly informal honorific most commonly used for male friends), -tachi (a term meant to refer to a group of people or things. Can roughly translate as "and the others"), -kun-tachi (a combination of -kun and -tachi, with the meanings of both carrying through), -san-tachi (a combination of -san and -tachi, with the meanings of both carrying through.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Discovery**

Minato closed his eyes as the payphone began to ring. His right hand was clasped around the receiver. The phonecard could be seen sticking out from the slot. He'd been grateful it had worked at all. His eyes scanned the city as he waited for someone, _anyone_, to pick up.

This looked like Odaiba, the place Tatsumi Port Island had been modeled after. It was reasonable he'd mistaken it for Tatsumi. It _should_ have been reasonable, but it wasn't stopping the persistent nagging at the back of his mind, nagging which insisted it was not that simple. That teacher had never heard of Tatsumi Port Island. If only she had kept that to herself... Minato's thoughts cut short at the sound of a voice on the telephone line.

_"You have reached the offices of Kazuma Dorms, where we provide student housing for students of Odaiba International High School. Unfortunately, our offices are closed at this time. Our normal business hou-"_

Minato returned the receiver to its base with a slam. The telephone card popped out, unnoticed by the shaking teenager. There was a strong temptation to assume he had hit the wrong buttons, but his mind balked at it. It had taken all his effort to dial that number. He knew he hadn't dialed wrong. It was simply that the number didn't connect to Iwatodai Dorms. It was simply that there was no such place as Iwatodai Dorms, no such place as Tatsumi Port Island.

The blue haired teenager's knees buckled as the thought solidified. Minato collapsed against the side of the phone booth with the sinking realization of what had to be going on. That phone call had clicked the pieces into place with horrifying clarity. Somehow or another, he had woken from death itself _in another world._

"Dammit..."

Minato's weight dragged him down to the floor of the phone booth, his legs folding up as a natural result of his movement. He turned his head towards people passing on the sidewalk. They were distant in his thoughts. He wanted a different solution to everything that was happening, but nothing else fit. There was nothing he could think of that would fit all the facts.

His mind was wrenched out of the circle it had fallen into at the sight of a teenager lying in the alley across from the phone booth. The appearance indicated a cosplayer, but Minato hadn't seen anyone else in costume on his walk from the school. The realism of the hair was also hard to ignore. While he had never been into cosplay, you didn't have to be a genius to realize that kind of hair would be hard to reproduce. Most important, the teenager looked like he had taken a beating. He was covered in abrasions.

Minato pulled himself up before stepping out of the booth, his phonecard and wallet remaining inside. He felt relieved upon reaching the spiky-haired teenager. He was still breathing. Minato dropped into a crouch and gave the other teenager's shoulder a gentle shake.

The other teenager woke up as if coming out of a nightmare. The sudden movement knocked Minato off balance and he fell backwards. His teeth clacked together as he landed on his tailbone. When he looked up, the other teenager was staring at him with stunned surprise.

They just sat there and stared at each other. Minato couldn't help but note the shorter teenager's eye color. While that shade of purple wasn't impossible, it was an exact match for the character the teenager seemed to be portraying. They looked frightened. Minato frowned at his overall condition.

"Are you okay?" Minato's worry drew out the words more than may have been necessary.

"Where...?" It seemed a struggle for the teenager to force out even one word.

Minato's eyes widened at the voice. It wasn't just the appearance. He hadn't seen Duel Monsters in years, but he knew the voice was an exact match. The short teenager seemed desperate for an answer. Minato had a feeling he wouldn't like it much.

"As far as I can tell, we're in Odaiba."

"J-Japan? !"

The teenager had been getting to his feet when Minato answered. He was supporting himself on a nearby wall with a single hand. The surprise from Minato's answer caused him to stumble, almost losing his balance. Minato realized that reaction implied he hadn't thought he was in Japan. He nodded.

"Isn't this where you expected to be?"

The spiky-haired teenager paused with his mouth hanging open. There seemed to be some indication he was listening to someone. Minato realized something that almost had to be true if his growing suspicions were founded. The other teenager _did _have a Puzzle. Minato took the opportunity to pull himself to his feet. The short teenager attempted to take a step forward, and his knees buckled. Minato caught him by his armpits.

"Are you going to be alright?" Minato sounded more concerned than before. He wondered if it had been okay to let the teenager stand with his apparent condition.

The other teenager attempted to stabilize himself. Minato didn't let go until he was sure the teenager was capable of standing. He stepped back, keeping a close eye on the teenager's condition. Minato returned the teenager's eye contact once he was stable.

"I was caught in some sort of cave-in. But it wasn't in Odaiba. It wasn't even in _Japan_."

He still seemed to be concerned about something. Minato's eyes widened. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner? It was likely the teenager didn't think he believed him. Minato admitted to himself that on any other day, he might not have. However, it was perfectly reasonable when compared to waking up in another world.

"Go ahead. I don't think you're lying, but I don't think I can help you if you can't be more clear," Minato said.

"I... I was in Egypt. With my friends. We were in this building that basically consisted of a large basement. There was this really big earthquake, and I think I hit my head..." The teenager looked around for a moment, as if trying to find something. When he turned back to Minato, the anxiety was clear in his eyes, "You haven't seen them, have you? I'm really worried about them."

"I don't think I've seen them," Minato said. He couldn't be sure without being positive about the teenager's identity. Now he had a question he didn't even want to ask. It was a question he couldn't avoid with his growing suspicions, "Pardon me for asking, but are you Mutou Yuugi?"

The teenager tensed up in response to the question. It didn't look like anything more than surprise to Minato. The teenager gave a nervous attempt at a smile. It looked more like a grimace. He finally nodded, "You've seen me on television, haven't you?"

"I... not exactly," Minato's attempt at a safe response flopped. He had to tell him. Yuugi responded to Minato's worried frown with a confused expression, "You said you were in Egypt?"

"I know it sounds really crazy, but you have to believe me!"

That seemed to be Yuugi's only concern. The fact that he was in the wrong _country_ of all things seemed to worry him less than being believed, "I don't think it sounds as crazy as this. I do know you from television.. but I don't think it's in the way you're thinking."

"What do you mean?" Yuugi sounded very confused.

"You know how you think saying you were in Egypt is crazy? I know you from television from this... well, from an anime."

Yuugi's immediate response was a mere exaggerated blink. He seemed to be trying to find the joke. There was another exaggerated pause. Once again, Minato got the impression he was listening to someone. He was mainly grateful Yuugi hadn't freaked. It would have been more than acceptable by this point.

"You aren't joking, are you?" The question seemed to be rhetorical. Yuugi sounded to be confirming what Minato had said. Minato responded with a shake of his head. Yuugi's expression turned sullen, "Then you haven't seen Jounouchi-kun-tachi."

Minato felt bad at those words. Yuugi was right, of course. He hadn't seen the other characters... no, the other _people_. It was an odd distinction he found himself having to make. There was a difference between a mere character and a real person. The contrast seemed almost foreign.

"No. But I don't think it's impossible that they're here."

"Really? ! You really think they could be here? !" Yuugi's entire expression lightened as he spoke.

"I think it's possible. I don't think either of us are in our original world."

Minato paused as he said that. Why could he now casually acknowledge that possibility? He realized the answer had to lay with Yuugi. There was no doubt in his mind that this was really Mutou Yuugi. The main character from an anime and manga he'd enjoyed before his parents died. If he was speaking to Yuugi, being in another world remained the only sane explanation.

"If Jounouchi-san-tachi were with you, it seems possible they were brought here by the same thing that brought you here. I don't really know, I just got here myself."

"So this really is another world?"

Minato looked surprised at Yuugi's casual acceptance of the situation. The other teenager didn't doubt him. He was taking his words at face value. They had only just met, but Yuugi seemed to trust him.

"So you're from another world too?"

"I think so. It's... complicated," Minato hesitated with his response. The specifics of how he was in another world were painful to contemplate. He was thankful Yuugi didn't pressure him for details, "My name is Arisato Minato."

The conversation had seemed to come to a logical close. Minato didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He knew he was in another world. He didn't know what to _do _in this other world. Yuugi attempted to take a step away from the wall. Minato caught him as his legs buckled again.

"I think that cave-in you mentioned gave you a concussion," Minato didn't put much emotion behind his statement.

"I feel fine," Yuugi said.

There wasn't a lot of force behind his words. He looked distracted from the situation as Minato made sure he was capable of standing. Yuugi's expression turned to annoyed, but Minato didn't get the impression it was at his help. After Minato stepped back, the expression changed to resignation. Yuugi confirmed his balance before returning his focus to Minato.

"I might need to see a doctor, but I don't want to leave you by yourself! If you're from another world, we're both lost. We need to help each other."

Minato gave a tired smile. With Yuugi's condition, he was the one who needed to be concerned about being left alone. Then again, when Minato considered the way he seemed to be listening to someone from time to time, it was possible Yuugi would be less alone than was evident. The other teenager had a point though. There had to be a way they could help each other.

"You're right, which is why I'll go with you to the doctor," Minato said. He looked at the phone booth he'd been in a few minutes prior. It had remained vacant, meaning his phonecard and wallet were still inside. He indicated the latter with his thumb, "You don't have to worry, I'm more than capable of covering it. You're not going to find your friends if you can barely walk. Maybe we'll figure out what to do next while we're there."

Yuugi gave a relieved smile at the suggestion. He looked like he'd been ready to argue the point had it come to that. His shoulders relaxed with his relief and he nodded. Minato wasn't sure what they could find out at a doctor's office. But he _was _sure helping Yuugi was better than sitting in the phone booth, lost in depression.


	4. Chapter 4: Deception

**Authors: **This is a collaborative/collab fanfiction between myself and Firebreath Fishslap. While she has her own account (firebreathfishslap is her username), the rules of the site only allow one author to upload a specific fic. She deserves as much credit as I do

* * *

**Chapter 4: Deception**

Souji collapsed onto a bench, dropping his bag on the ground and putting his head in his hands. It wasn't like him to get this stressed, but he'd been walking for hours, his legs were sore, and he had no more idea of what was going on than he'd had back at the train station. The little differences between his Odaiba and this one were slight, and did nothing but further prove his initial theory. He wanted desperately for someone to talk to, someone who would know what was going on, but it was hopeless. You couldn't just ask a person off the street if they had come from another world.

He pulled his hands back and up from his head, leaving his hair in a small disarray. If he couldn't talk to someone on the street, were there other options? He ran through the possibilities in his head. Teddie was not much of an option. Even if this place could connect to his own dimension's TV World, which he doubted, he didn't know if he could still access it. That left Igor, as much as he hated to admit it, but he hadn't seen a single door to the Velvet Room. With his contract fulfilled, he wasn't even sure if it remained accessible to him.

Souji closed his eyes, rubbing at his temples in an attempt to ease the growing stress. All of his options hinged on what of his abilities remained following the incidents in Inaba. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, said breath catching before he could release it. Across the street, standing just past the opening of an alley, was a teenager who had not been there moments prior. A teenager who looked startled and lost. A teenager who looked, above all else, like a war refugee.

His blue hair was filthy enough to border on black. It appeared as if he hadn't so much glanced at a bath in over a week. His black shirt and magenta pants were covered in small yet visible rips and streaked with dirt and grime. The odd headphones balancing atop his head were taped together in no less than three places. His head darted at every bit of movement, the terror and distrust in his eyes evident to Souji despite the distance that separated them. Souji knew that only the walls to either side of the teenager prevented more than just him from staring.

Souji pushed up from the bench and took several cautious steps forward, his bag for the moment forgotten. The boy had his left arm thrust forward and curved around in a rudimentary shield protecting something white in his other hand. Souji paused in his advance upon realization of what it was. Despite being covered in large scuff marks, dirt, and a flaking third substance he couldn't identify, Souji was certain it was a handheld gaming device. From the distance he couldn't be sure if it was a Nintendo DS or a Hawking COMP, but he could tell it had been used for purposes far beyond it's original intent. A shield, maybe? Who used a gaming system as a shield?

That line of thought brought a realization as to what the third substance was, one so startling Souji found himself taking a step back. He wasn't aware his foot hit his bag. That third substance was _blood_, and the flaking was a result of drying on the hard plastic casing. A shield at _best._

The boy looked away from his device's screen as if satisfied by its contents and then up towards the sky. He tensed up even as Souji was forcing himself to relax and dashed out of the alley, his gaze remaining fixed on the blue expanse above and not noticing the few stares his presence brought. Both of the boy's arms fell to his side as he turned his back towards Souji and continued with slow steps backwards. His shoulders shook, and Souji wasn't sure if he laughed or cried. It was as if the sky had taken him by surprise... Souji's eyes widened. As if he'd come from a place where the sky differed, and not in such a small amount as the difference between night and day. Souji scooped his bag up, his previous inhibitions over the boy's appearance for the moment forgotten, and he ran towards the blue haired teenager. As if he'd come from a place where the sky differed.

"Excuse me!" Souji announced himself from halfway across the street.

The blue haired boy whirled on him, dancing backwards and back towards the alley with an unexpected amount of grace. The COMP - Souji had been able to identify it as he closed the distance - that had fallen to the boy's side was up in one swift motion and the boy had returned to his original defensive pose. Souji froze on his side of the alley's entrance as the boy glared at him with a severe and almost predatory gaze. Souji felt as if he had locked eyes with a wolf and didn't dare avert the contact in the tense seconds that followed. The tension in the air only rose as the boy took a single cautious step forward, his thumb shaking above the COMP's touch screen as he issued a command in slow, deliberate words.

"Tell me your name."

Souji had expected all manner of things from the boy's mouth. A threat, a warning, even the demand he had received. But not the words. The other teenager looked prepared to kill him if he so much as twitched, and yet the only demand was his name? There was no indication from the other boy that he intended to drop his guard, or even move, until he received Souji's answer. And yet it wasn't all aggression. Souji's eyes flicked to the way the boy's thumb wavered. The aggression masked fear, and all in regards to his name? He had to reply.

"Seta Souji."

And with just those four syllables, all the aggression and most of the fear melted out from the boy in a single exaggerated breath. Souji realized that the other teenager had been holding it the entire time he waited on an answer. The teenager hooked the back of his COMP with one finger and pulled it closed, only removing his thumb once the top of his device rested against it.

"And you are?" Souji inquired.

"Huh?" The boy had already turned from Souji, and now turned back as if he had not understood the question.

"I asked your name," Souji repeated. He phrased his next sentence as a question, "Since you asked mine?"

The boy hesitated upon understanding of Souji's inquiry, as if debating if he should answer it. Souji took the delay to take further stock of the boy's condition. He didn't appear hurt despite his appearance. Not so much as a visible bruise, an odd contrast to the rips in his clothes and the blood and dirt covering his body. The only physical sign of wear and tear were the dark bags clinging to his lower eyelids. Souji had a feeling he hadn't had a good night's sleep in at least as long as he hadn't had a bath.

"It's not important," the boy finally stated, drawing Souji out of his own thoughts, even as the boy returned to assessing his surroundings. He looked as if he expected something to jump out from the shadows at him.

"Not important?" Souji questioned.

The boy returned his focus to Souji, this time bearing a pained smile, "It's not like we're ever going to see each other again."

With that said, the boy turned away once again and began walking off, away from the alley's entrance. Souji trotted forward and grabbed the boy's wrist in an attempt to stop him. The boy spun around, pulling Souji forward with a strength that surprised him. Souji managed to maintain his grip and the boy glared down towards Souji's hand before looking back up towards him.

"Let me go."

Souji blinked at the sudden return of the boy's ferocity in the form of narrow eyes and what could only be interpreted as an order. For all his nervous glances and jittery behavior, the boy clearly had a dangerous side. One that seemed to surface towards whatever he considered a potential threat. Which meant that he once again considered Souji as one. As commanded, Souji released the boy's wrist and held up both his hands with palms facing forward, a sign of non-aggression.

"I just want to know why you don't think we'll see each other again," Souji stated in a calm voice.

The boy's expression softened, if only slightly, "I'm not going to be here long. You... you'd be better off forgetting you saw me."

"Then you have a way back to your world?" Souji said.

"I ju-what?" Every muscle in the boy's body tensed up as if a coil set to spring. He yanked his COMP in front of him yet again and stumbled backwards. In his surprise, his previous grace had vanished. He almost tripped over his own leg. That fierce gaze, the one like a cornered animal, returned as the boy glared towards Souji, "How do you know that? ! Who are you, and don't lie this time!"

"Calm down!" Souji shouted, although he was not so foolish as to not add a few feet's distance between himself and the boy, "You reacted to the sky as if you weren't used to it. As if the place you came from had a different sky!"

"That doesn't explain why you jumped to thinking I'm from another world!" Came the boy's frightened response. Frightened, not aggressive. Whatever mask he'd had previously seemed to have slipped. For his part, Souji risked a worried glance behind himself. They were going to attract attention at this rate, "No normal human would come up with that!"

Souji knew he had to diffuse the situation before they attracted unwanted attention. He'd opened his mouth to respond to the boy's terror fueled shouts when the words the boy had used dawned on him. He'd said human. Not person, but _human_, as if there were some need to specify. What else would he be? A Shadow? Souji frowned to himself and brushed away the thought. Most people didn't know about Shadows... but the boy clearly knew of something that wasn't human to have chosen the words he did. He had to calm the situation before asking questions that would only fuel the boy's fear.

"I'm from another world as well," Souji spoke slowly, willing his frustration down with every word, "I only wanted to know how I could return."

The boy opened his mouth before hesitating, as if the words had caught in his throat. He spoke more cautiously than before, "W-what? How?"

Souji's calm faded to confusion, "The same way as you?"

Confusion then faded to hesitant concern as the boy let out a bitter laugh. He lifted his hand to his face, the bottom of his nose resting at the bottom of his palm, his eyes concealed by fingers. He shook his head as the laugh faded and words came, "I... I doubt that."

"Then how did you get here?" Souji spoke more slowly than ever. The boy seemed off balance, but he was his only lead.

"None of your business!" The boy snapped, all bitter mirth lost from his face, replaced by an aggressive glare. And then he was wincing, as if in regret. Regret for the tone, Souji thought. He didn't think the boy regretted the words, "How did _you_ get here? A d-nevermind. How?"

The boy quickly averted his gaze at whatever he'd cut himself off from saying. Half a syllable wasn't enough for Souji to make any guesses as to what he was hiding, "I woke up here."

"Then it's not the same as me," the boy said with sudden resolution. He turned away as if to leave, but paused and turned his head towards Souji. That earlier look of regret had returned, "I can't help you get back to your world. I have to go. I have to find something."

It was another hint at things not being told. Another indication towards Souji's growing suspicion that he couldn't let this one piece of evidence slip through his fingers. Souji put a single hand to the bag on his shoulder to support it and darted forward, cutting the boy off. The blue haired teenager took a quick step back at Souji's sudden appearance ahead of him, "I can help."

"I'm not getting you involved in this!" the boy shouted, before wincing at his own vehemence. He shook his head and continued in a calmer tone, "This doesn't involve you."

"How can you be sure I'm not here because of what sent you here?"

Souji was already forming a further argument against the boy's stubborn protests when he paused with his mouth hanging open. As if he'd realized Souji had a point. Souji frowned again, just for a moment. He'd meant it simply as a theory to try and convince the boy, but his reactions indicated he was further on the right track than he was sure he wanted to be.

"I..." the boy shook his head and muttered under his breath, "He wouldn't do that..."

Souji wasn't sure he'd been supposed to hear, but he had to ask, "He?"

The boy's eyes widened and he jerked his head up. Bingo. Souji knew the boy hadn't meant to say that part out loud. The boy reached up and clutched part of his left sleeve with his right hand, resting the COMP at the same location. Souji acted on the moment of weakened resolve.

"Regardless, you need a bath. I don't know what kind of world you came from," the boy's entire stance sagged. Grief washed over his face. Souji continued on without missing a beat, but the reaction to the mention of his world did not go unnoticed, "But I've been here long enough to know that you are going to attract attention you don't seem to want in your condition. Look, I can't make you let me help you find what you're looking for, but at least let me get you a bath. Let me do that much."

"A bath... would be nice..." the boy said after a long pause.

Souji gave a smile he hoped wasn't half as forced as it felt. Being this manipulative reminded him of Adachi. The thought was far from comforting, "I think I saw a gym a few blocks back. They'll have showers, and I can offer soap."

The boy's eyes wandered to Souji's indicated bag. Distrust was still evident in his eyes, but it was of a weary sort. He'd been here minutes if Souji's suspicions were right, but he looked like he needed someone to lean on more than Souji had, "I don't want to make you go out of your way."

"I would have to have a way to go out of it," Souji said. That much was true. He told himself that his concern for the boy was genuine as well. Maybe he needed him, but it seemed to Souji as if the situation was only more true in reverse, "Now, about your name?"

The other boy gave a weak smile, one Souji found himself surprised and grateful he was able to honestly return, "Keiichi. You can call me K1."


	5. Chapter 5: Discussion

**Authors: **This is a collaborative/collab fanfiction between myself and Firebreath Fishslap. While she has her own account (firebreathfishslap is her username), the rules of the site only allow one author to upload a specific fic. She deserves as much credit as I do

* * *

**Chapter 5: Discussion**

Minato wanted to ask Yuugi if he needed help as the shorter teenager took slow, but determined, steps out of the alley. He couldn't blame his hesitation on Yuugi's determination. No, he blamed it on knowing Yuugi would accept any help offered. He blamed it on _why _he knew he would accept any help offered. How did you go about addressing someone from a television show? How did you go about treating a fictional person as a real one?

"Arisato-kun, did you come here by yourself?"

Yuugi's question pulled Minato out of his thoughts. The shorter teenager had made his way out of the alley, and he seemed at least a bit more stable than before. Relief touched Minato's features for a moment before he processed Yuugi's question. He broke eye contact with the other teenager by turning his head to look down the street.

"...yeah."

Minato couldn't avoid catching Yuugi's expression out of his peripheral vision. The other teenager looked sorry for asking the question. Had his hesitation been that obvious? He didn't know how to feel about the grin Yuugi forced onto his face as he began to speak again, "We should look for that doctor. I mean, unless you already know where one is?"

Minato pointed down the street in the direction he'd been walking before he found Yuugi. It occurred to him that if he hadn't found Yuugi laying in that alley, it was possible he'd still be collapsed in the booth. He tried to silence his thoughts with a response to the shorter teenager. It didn't help.

"We can try that way."

Yuugi turned his head to follow Minato's finger. His eyes went crossed and he stumbled back, lifting a hand to his head. He lowered his hand and grimaced.

"I'm okay, really..." Yuugi mumbled.

Minato frowned at the spiky haired teenager's tone of voice. He sounded stubborn, like he was trying to convince someone of something. His mouth curved up in a weak smile that looked like it wanted but was unable to be more. Minato focused his attention back in the direction he had pointed when Yuugi turned his head toward him. Minato found himself wondering again about the golden triangle hanging from the other teenager's neck by a heavy chain.

"Arisato-kun, you said you know me from an anime...?"

Minato didn't want to know if his expression was as trapped as he felt. He nodded.

Yuugi locked eyes with him, "Then you know about my Other Self?"

Minato's breath caught. Did he know about Yuugi's 'Other Self'? The simple answer was yes, he knew about the Pharaoh. He even knew the Pharaoh's name. It was an odd reason to regret having not kept up with the series. The end of it had been in Egypt, right? Where Yuugi had said he'd been? He knew the first show better, and they'd never gone to Egypt in it. It was kind of a relief Yuugi probably wasn't from that version.

"...Arisato-kun?"

Minato started as Yuugi's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He looked down towards Yuugi and grimaced. This wasn't fiction. He couldn't think he knew Yuugi. He'd never met him. He wondered if he sounded as shaky to Yuugi as he did to himself, "...yeah. A... the Pharaoh, right?"

He switched tracks before he could make a larger fool out of himself than he already had. Didn't Yuugi lose the Puzzle at the end of the series? There was no way to know if he knew the Pharaoh's name yet.

Yuugi's smile became less forced and he let his shoulders drop, "...I'm glad."

Minato raised an eyebrow and his frown deepened, "Glad?"

"Yup! I mean..." Yuugi gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed his hand on the back of his head. Minato's eyes widened when he saw there was blood on it. That was the hand he'd brushed against his head earlier, wasn't it? The shorter teenager's shoulders rose in an awkward shrug, "It could have been hard, keeping him hidden since you seem to know me. He's worried about all of this too."

"We should get going to the doctor," Minato said. He hadn't known Yuugi was bleeding. Had the other teenager realized? "You're bleeding."

Yuugi's grin went back to looking forced as he pulled his hand from behind his head and brushed at a concealed area under his bangs. Minato realized that's where he'd been bleeding from. Yuugi's finger tips came down with no fresh blood, "I've been hurt worse, really. I think I was just in shock before."

Minato couldn't decide if Yuugi was telling the truth or putting on a brave face. Instead of arguing the point, he turned and began walking down the street. He was slowing down to make sure Yuugi was following him when the spiky haired teenager fell into step beside him. The smile didn't look forced anymore, and Minato found his frown flattening to his usual neutral expression despite himself.

* * *

K1 frowned to himself and pulled his head back into the alley. Souji had told him to wait while he made sure the way was clear, but it had already been five minutes. He flipped open his COMP and glanced at the clock for what he was sure was the tenth time in those five minutes. He wasn't going to wait much longer for Souji to return. This wasn't anyone's problem but his own, and hadn't he been told to not trust anyone? He scowled at himself. He was doing a fine job of it.

"K1-san?"

The blue haired teenager spun around at the voice. It clicked that it was only Souji returning from his scouting just before his thumb had pressed down on his COMP screen. He gave a choked breath and yanked his thumb from the screen. He snapped the device shut and shoved it in his back pocket. He'd almost summoned a demon on Souji. How would he have explained _that_?

"It's just K1," he said, allowing the harshness in his voice to mask his reaction, "The honorific sounds stupid on a nickname."

K1 met Souji's judging frown with a glare. Souji broke eye contact first, and pointed to the gym they were standing beside, "I think it's possible to get in without being seen if we're careful. As far as I can tell, the cameras have blind spots if you time your passage right."

K1 nodded. He pulled his COMP out of his pocket again, ignoring the odd look Souji gave him over it. They stood together in silence for a moment longer before Souji walked past him, gesturing for the shorter teenager to follow. A few steps later they came to a door with "EMPLOYEES ONLY" written on it in large English letters framed by the kana for the Japanese equivalent on the top and bottom. Souji opened it up and slipped inside with K1 on his heels.

He almost walked into Souji's outstretched hand several halls later. Souji spun his head around and gave K1 a criticizing glare. He had his mouth open to demand an explanation when a pair of girls walked past. K1's eyes widened and he looked towards Souji. He'd been so busy watching the other teenager and his COMP he hadn't been giving any attention to his surroundings.

"Try to keep your eyes open," Souji whispered. K1 grimaced at the lack of admonishment in Souji's tone.

They made it the rest of the way to the showers without incident. Souji stood on his toes to look over the top of the short shower cubicles before he reached over and pulled the curtain to the side. K1 blinked and looked over at Souji, who gestured inside. He glanced over his shoulder as K1 ducked in. The curtain dropped before K1 had a chance to turn around.

"I'm not concerned about what you do with the clothes, but it might be better for you to keep your electronics out here," Souji stated, "The water could damage them."

K1 had begun to peel off his shirt when Souji spoke up. He glanced to the side towards the bit of his headphones he could see from his peripheral vision. He dropped the shirt back down before framing each of the headphone's speakers in his fingers. He lifted them backwards and then up over his head. He put the damaged headphones in his right hand before unclipping the mp3 player from his shirt with the other.

"Could you watch these, then?" K1 asked. He pulled back the shower curtain and held them out to Souji, "Be careful, they're not in the best shape."

K1 didn't return Souji's inquisitive look with aggression this time, instead letting out a relieved sigh when Souji took them as gingerly as he'd been handling them. He was pulling back into the shower when Souji spoke again.

"What about your COMP?"

"I'll keep it in here with me. I can wrap it up with my shirt and put in in the corner. There's a bench attached to the wall in here, so it should keep it safe," K1 explained. He forced a smile. Souji's frown made it clear he wasn't buying it, "The COMP's in good shape, my headphone's aren't. They were a gift, okay? I just don't want to put them at risk."

K1 ducked back into the shower stall before Souji had a chance to argue. His face twisted as his shirt clung to his skin when he pulled it off. Blood, and not human, left discolored spots on his skin. He grimaced and held his shirt away from his body as far as it would go with just his pointer finger and thumb. He looked down at his pants and sighed, pulling his COMP out of his pocket. He folded the shirt around the system. The pants weren't any better, and it wasn't as if his COMP hadn't already been stained by demon blood.

"K1."

The blue haired teenager looked up from the corner of the stall where he was tucking his shirt-wrapped COMP under the bench, "What?"

"Forgive the interruption, but don't you need soap?"

K1's eyes widened. He looked towards the soap shelf in the cubicle. Empty, as expected. He looked back towards the curtain, "You really don't have to worry about that..."

"Have you smelled yourself?"

K1 frowned at the response. It only deepened when he saw a bar of soap and a small tube of shampoo pushed under the curtain. He sighed and double checked his COMP would be secure before standing and stepping out of the rest of his clothes. He tossed them into the other bench covered corner with far less care than he'd given his shirt and COMP. He walked over to the soap and shampoo and grabbed them after a moment's consideration, "Thanks."

Souji didn't reply. He walked over to the soap shelf and put the stuff down before turning on the water. It wasn't as hot as he liked, but given what he'd been dealing with for hygiene solutions lately, he wasn't about to complain. He winced as he worked the shampoo into his hair. The sweat he'd been accumulating lately had made his scalp raw. The silence from the other side of the curtain began to weight down on K1, and he finally had to break it.

"You're not involved in this, so why are you helping me?" K1 asked.

"You looked like you needed someone to extend a hand," Souji replied.

"I've been through a lot," K1 replied. He dunked his head under the water to get the soap out of his hair. The water going down the drain at his feet was almost black from the accumulated grime being washed off his body. He closed his eyes to prevent the filthy water from getting into them. He wasn't sure why he was sharing this information with Souji. Trust no one. He didn't like being on his own, "You'd never believe me if I told you what I've been through. Hell, _I _wouldn't believe it if I hadn't been through it."

"You might be surprised," Souji replied, "Although if I had to guess by looking at you, I'd say you'd been caught in some kind of war."

K1 jerked up so fast that he hit the back of the shower head with his own head before he could catch himself. He bit off an expletive and grabbed the back of his head. He couldn't tell if blood had dampened his already soaked hair, so he had to lower his hand to check. No blood.

"K1, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" K1 shouted. He drew his lips back at the volume of his own voice and double checked his head for blood. The result was the same. He sighed and snatched the shampoo bottle off the shelf, dumping it onto his head and working up a lather.

"Did I say something wrong?"

K1 grabbed the bar of soap this time, leaving his hair soaped up. Trust no one. He responded anyways, "I was just surprised at what you said. Some kind of war is about right. I just didn't think it would be that obvious."

"It was just a guess," Souji stated, "You look like a refugee."

"If only it was that simple," K1 muttered. He frowned and stopped scrubbing his chest. Trust no one. He shook his head and began scrubbing again as he continued the conversation, "I'm here because there's something here that could effect the outcome of the war. That's why I don't want you involved. It's not your fight."

"How are names important to that?"

_Trust no one_. K1 froze. Had he said too much?

"How do you know that?" K1 demanded. He heard the low growl in his voice as he spoke, and didn't care. If Souji was a threat he had to show he wasn't a pushover.

"You demanded my name when we met," Souji said. There was no indication K1 could hear that Souji had understood his warning, "And you relaxed right after I introduced myself. Whatever you're looking for isn't named Seta Souji, at least."

Maybe he was overreacting. Souji seemed smart. He probably wasn't being careful enough. He needed to watch himself. Not reveal anything else. But he had to ask. He still sounded threatening as he spoke, "Does the name 'Bel' mean anything to you?"

Souji didn't immediately reply. K1's expression darkened and he side stepped towards the bench. He didn't want to turn his head away from the curtain. The water continued down in a steady stream, but the spot he'd picked for the COMP was dry. The clothes in the other corner weren't due to how he'd tossed them there, but they weren't important. K1 crouched down and had his right hand wrapped around his unfolded COMP before he heard Souji's voice again.

"Not at all. Sorry I took so long. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting something. It seems important to you. I want to help."

K1 reached up and wiped the soap dripping bangs out of his face, "You're not involved. We're going our separate ways as soon as I'm done here."

He expected some form of objection from the other teenager, but none came. He scowled and wrapped his COMP again, this time leaving a corner exposed in case he needed to grab it quickly. He was sure now that Souji was prying. Trust no one, I'll be there as soon as I can. How much longer was Naoya going to take to follow him?


End file.
